


I Am Thou.. Thou Art I

by ByNash (Nasharuu)



Series: SouYo Week 2019 Prompts [5]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: But everything is good, Internalized Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Meh, Shadow Yosk is here too, Souyo Week 2019, The IT are mentioned, there is a content warning tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 21:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19035736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nasharuu/pseuds/ByNash
Summary: Yosuke starts to act weird, on top losing his persona, so Yu makes a trip to the TV to meet an old familiar face.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fifth part of the SouYo Week 2019 promptDay 5: Shadow





	I Am Thou.. Thou Art I

**Author's Note:**

> Just two days left and we are done *sigh*  
> This one is kinda ok. I feel like I'm slipping up the quality. Oh well.  
> Enjoy~  
> !CW: Internalized homophobia!

The fight against Shadow Naoto was complicated, but the Investigation Team managed to beat it with little downs. 

 

Well scratch that. There was  _ one  _ down. 

 

Yosuke sat on the Junes food court where the team had their meetings, his head low making his messy bangs to fall on his face. 

 

“Yosuke-senpai, what happened there?” asked Kanji worried. For some reason, Yosuke was unable to summon his Persona through the entire fight. The group thought at first that it had to be some effect of a silence ailment. But Rise confirmed that he was ok, but still couldn’t sense Susano-o. They called Chie on the frontlines for backup.

 

“I don’t get it” mumbled Rise “Yosuke-senpai had his persona all the time, but when we confronted Shadow Naoto it seemed like it vanished on thin air” this made the team concerned, but Yu perked up slowly, realization dawned on him. He might know what’s going on. 

 

========================================================================

 

“Sensei, are you sure?” Asked the bear, insecure. The Wildcard nodded. Teddie then sat on the “lobby” looking at Yu.

 

“Be careful, Sensei” he warned. Yu made his way to the Twisted Shopping District and inside the Konishi’s liquor store. The air inside was exactly like he remembered.

 

“I know you are here” announced Yu, looking around the gloomy store. Surprisingly, no answer. 

 

“Wrong place,  _ partner _ ” The leader turned towards the entrance of the store and there stood it, looking back at the wildcard with its yellow glowing eyes.

 

“I knew it had to be you. It was just a hunch but I guess it was more correct than I thought” replied Yu, this time facing the being that resembled his best friend. Shadow Yosuke just chuckled and looked at Yu with mirt.

 

“Of course you would go looking for me as soon as he lose his persona. You are his  _ partner _ after all” mocked the doppelganger, turning to leave the store. “But you went the wrong place. Try again” and with that it vanished. Is really the shadow going to send Yu on a fetch quest? The silveret grimaced.

 

As Yu departed the liquor store, he noticed something on the floor. He reached for it and confusion settled in.

 

“A note?” He mused as he read the piece of paper.

 

_ ‘The place we went together after we became friends’ _

 

A hint, huh. So it basically was a fetch quest. Yu searched for the parts on his memory for the hint. 

 

“Souzai Dogaku” he said and moved to the small store. There was Shadow Yosuke waiting for him. 

 

“Oh I knew you'd do it. But to be honest, that was an easy one” it said, a smirk never leaving it’s face. Yu looked at the shadow with seriousness.

 

“What are you playing?” He asked, making the shadow burst in laughter like he just made the funniest joke.

 

“I’m not the one playing,  _ partner _ ” it mocked again. Shadow Yosuke stood from his spot at the makeshift table. “Let’s keep going, shall we?” Gone again. Yu wasn’t sure why the shadow was taking him for a walk but if he wanted answers, he’ll have to play by the rules. The leader approached the table where the shadow was just a second ago and retrieved the next note.

 

_ ‘Our favorite place’  _

 

This was complicated. There where several places that both Yu and Yosuke liked. But maybe..

  
  


==========================================

 

Yu finally arrived to the hill overlooking Inaba and low and behold, it was there.

 

“Congratulations. Tired from the trip?” Asked the shadow smugly. Yu glared at the entity. 

 

“I played your little game. Now what?” He said, making Shadow Yosuke chuckle. It stood up from the bench and make its way towards the leader. Yu stepped back when the shadow got  _ too close _ to his face.

 

“Go to his house and you’ll find out” he replied. Yu nodded and Shadow Yosuke disappeared once more. Yosuke’s house? If he was in a distorted form of Inaba then he knew where to go.

 

Finally Yu arrived at the Hanamura residence, just how he remembers it to look like. He wasn’t sure if it was a trap, but he needed to know why was Shadow Yosuke here in the first place. He only needs to-

 

“YU! HOLD ON!” Someone yelled and the wildcard felt a nervous shiver run through his spine. He turned to his left and saw Yosuke running towards him.

When the garu user arrived, he almost falls to the ground breathing heavily.

 

“Yosuke, how-” he couldn’t finish until the entire place shifted and soon, both boys where inside Yosuke’s room. On the bed sat his shadow, now with a wide smile.

 

“Oh look what the cat brought in! If it isn’t the one and only, The Prince Of Junes himself~” mocked the shadow, eyeing it’s real counterpart. Yosuke perked up, eyes wide.

 

“What? Why is it-?” the boy didn’t had a chance to finish his sentence until his shadow stood up rather menacingly. 

 

“Oh you  _ know  _ why I am here. Don’t act dumb” the shadow sneered, making the fawn haired boy stiff and look away. Yu eyed his best friend from the rim of his glasses.

 

“Yosuke.. What is it talking about?” he asked, making Yosuke hide his face from the leader. Shadow Yosuke shifted its gaze towards Yu.

 

“That your little  _ friend _ has a dirty little secret he keeps from everyone else” it walked towards the garu user. The shadow inched to his face, yellow eyes meeting brown “Do you want to spill it or I do it for you?” 

At this, Yosuke looked up at his other self with a scared expression. 

 

“Don’t. Please.” he pleaded, to which the shadow smirked moved away from his space and this time stood over Yu. 

 

“Oh, Yu, Dear Yu” cooed the shadow, it’s golden eyes roaming all over the leader. “A true lady killer. Strong, brave..  _ Handsome.. _ ” 

 

The remark on the last word made Yu look at the shadow, then to Yosuke. The latter glared at the shadow. Shadow Yosuke ran its index finger around Yu’s chest slowly.

 

“Such a shame to let all of that to waste”

 

“Yu don’t listen to it,” called Yosuke from his spot, his voice strained and angry, but Yu could see behind the glasses he was holding back tears. The shadow ignored him and continued with its torturous speech.

 

“All the girls on this shitty town fall like flies when they are around you”

 

“Stop it”

 

“How easy is for them to go to you and ask you out”

 

“Please stop it”

 

“How Rise holds your arm..”

 

“No..”

 

“How I wish that would be  _ me  _ instead~” it smirked, clinging into Yu’s arm and resting its head on his chest. Yu could feel his cheeks fire up a bit.

 

“SHUT UP!” yelled Yosuke, stopping the shadow’s actions and it looked at him with a scowl.

 

“Quit the play already. You know how you feel” it said, this time annoyed and voice calm. It was a weird sight. “You say it’s wrong and that you shouldn't feel this way. But how is it wrong when it feels  _ right _ ”? At his shadow’s words, Yosuke looked away, his eyes stinging from the unshed tears. 

 

“Yosuke, why didn’t you said anything?” inquired the wildcard, making his best friend to look at him mortified and angry.

 

“Because it’s not ok, Yu! You are my friend and we are guys.. It’s not..” he lowered his voice when he realized he just lashed out at Yu, who didn’t had the blame for this. Only himself is the one to blame.

 

“It’s not what a guy should like? Then what about those dreams? Those sicked  _ fantasies  _ of yours? Cut the excuses, yeah?” sneered the shadow with a wicked smile, and Yosuke just wants it to go berserk and probably kill him on the spot now. He knows. Yu knows and it’s making him wanting to puke his guts out. Yosuke didn’t want to admit it. He doesn’t want to accept that side of him.

 

“Just admit it. I am you, after all” it smirked widely. 

 

“No..” said Yosuke with a deep scowl. Yu looked at his partner, a worried expression painted on his face. If Yosuke denied his Shadow, it would go berserk.

 

And Yu wasn’t sure if he could defeat it this time.

 

“You’re wrong..” he mumbled, his anger was bubbling up in his chest. He was angry at his shadow, angry at himself. “You’re not-!” he almost yelled those 4 words that could mean their terrible demise, but Yu grabbed him from his shoulders and in a rush, he silenced the boy with a kiss. Yosuke jumped from the surprise, but slowly started to melt into the kiss, the shadow eyed them both passively. 

 

The wildcard separated himself from Yosuke, who was paralyzed with tears on his eyes. 

 

“Yosuke, it’s ok” he said softly, his hand reached up to caress his cheek. The garu user closed his eyes, some of the tears slipping. “You are still you. Nothing changes because you have an attraction to me. You are still the great guy and magnificent tactician I fell for” at that, Yosuke opened his eyes and looked at Yu in disbelief. He then eyed his Shadow, who stood silently as it watched the pair. Yosuke got closer to it, his brown eyes fixated to yellow. 

 

“Hey.. thanks” he sniffled, rubbing his tearful eyes. “I was stupid for hiding this. In the end, I was just fooling myself..” he then smiled, an honest one.

 

“You are me” he looks at the shadow sheepishly. Shadow Yosuke smirked, dissolving into a blue light. Above it, Susano-o hovered, his gaze fixed on his user, then disappeared. Yosuke turned towards Yu, the latter had a proud smile on his face. The headphone wearing boy wiped his tears that rolled down his freckled cheeks. 

 

“Let’s.. Let’s go back. We need to talk..” he said with a sigh. Yu holded him by the shoulders and guided him towards the entrance.

 

“How did you knew I was here?” asked the wildcard, suddenly remembering that his best friend found him inside the TV. Yosuke looked away embarrassed, his cheeks burning red. 

 

“Well.. I also had an idea that it was my shadow.. And Teddie told me that you went in. Guess he was worried about you” he said. Yu shook his head, not surprised, but it was cute that Teddie cared about him. Both boys tumbled their way to the exit of Twisted Shopping District, holding each other close. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The end it's bad lmao  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
